Lovefools
by Draquia
Summary: Another story about how Krillin and 18 got together. Mostly from 18's POV. Tells us how both of them felt from the time 18 left Krillin to the time 18 became pregnant with Marron. *DISCONTINUED* See my profile for the new story.
1. The memories

Eighteen flew down from corinth tower in a confused state of mind. Nothing would show on her face, and most thought that the emotions in her were non existent. She preferred it that way. She knew she had once been human. Some part of her was human still. She could feel emotion, but she found it unnecessary to show it. 

At the halfway mark, she passed the place where (according to her data) was where Yajirobe and Corinth lived. Yajirobe was an incompetent. He was a weak fool. The cat however, was always watching and ever learning, and had a certain wise edge to him. She glanced at him as she passed, and he simply watched her. He said nothing, but he left her feeling uneasy. 

Her first thought was to find her brother. Seventeen would have been brought back when the wish was made for everyone killed by Cell to be brought back. He was out there somewhere, and she would search the planet to find him. He was her other half. The most important person in existence to her. He was her little brother, and her only link to her forgotten past. The only one who had suffered with her when her body was distorted and warped until she was no longer even human. Only Seventeen could understand what it was like to have your identity taken away. Not only the identity of who you are, but of what you are. That bastard scientist had taken her life away. Neither she or Seventeen had any way to restore it, but whatever he had twisted them into, at least they weren't in it alone. Outwardly, they almost never sentimental, but there was a silent understanding between them that did not need words.

Life had played them a cruel twist of fate, but they planned to live it to the full. The world and everyone in it was cursed, and yet still she wished to live. Still she and Seventeen could find pleasure in such trivial things. Eighteen loved to shop and Seventeen loved roadrage. He was a brat, but he was still her brother.

They couldn't sense each other's ki any better than anyone else could, so Eighteen would have to do a very thorough search to find her twin. She rested for a moment on a mountain top, stopping to think of where he might be. He might already have stolen another car, so she could go by the country highways. But Seventeen might yet be a little shaken from the whole episode with Cell, and could be around in the country. In fact, Eighteen had no idea where Seventeen would have been brought back to when the dragon resurrected him. She decided to first try the two most likely places. The first would be the arena of the Cell games, or what was left of it. Looking out once more at the open mountainsides, she set off.

Passing some towns on the way, she was able to get a pretty good idea of where the arena was from the overhead TV's. Within half an hour, she had reached the battle-scarred land where the greatest fight in history had taken place. Darkness had enfolded the sky hours ago. But Eighteen was accustomed to see in the dark. Another little trinket bonus from Dr Gero. She passed over the crater in which Cell had finally been blasted away into nothing, but there was no sign of Seventeen. She searched the whole area over an hour, but Seventeen was not there. As the night dragged on, she began to feel sleepy. She would have had to get out of the area soon anyway, because the press were reaching the site. Spectators, reporters, policeman and scientists were all eager to reach the site first. Slipping away from the glare of the lights, she headed away into the woods. Both food and sleep were two human necessities she could have discarded for days, but a basic, ancient human instinct worked against this. Tonight, she decided to give into those instincts. Near the edge of Hope City, she landed, and went skulking around the backstreets. It didn't take her long to find a delivery boy for a Chinese restaurant, knock him out, and retrieve her dinner from the fallen figure. She left shortly afterwards. She flew to the side of a cliff, and a very small ki blast escaped her fingertip. It exploded into the cliff and left a very decent sized cave. Flying inside, she opened the various containers of take away food and made herself comfortable.

As Eighteen settled down in sitting position against the wall, her mind wandered. Thoughts of her brother, thoughts of Cell, and thoughts of _him. Piccolo had told me Krillin had stayed by me…all the time when I couldn't have defended myself. He destroyed the one tool which could have paralysed me and stopped cell from becoming complete. Why? Because he liked me?…No. He just expected me to become his own damsel in distress_ She winced in disgust. _Or was it that? The way he looked at me…when he destroyed the controller. The only time when I saw him when he was alone, and controlled. He had stopped his nervous stammering and pathetic shaking, His stare was so piercing…it wasn't expectant, and it wasn't hopeful, just passive and set._

Though she wasn't cold, she shuddered and drew her arms around her shoulders. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember. Just a faint whisper, a tiny moment of recollection, seeped slowly into her memory. _There was such energy all around me. I couldn't hear, couldn't see, couldn't speak. I could only just…feel. I was surrounded…engulfed with evil energy. It closed in all around me…all around me. So close…breathing into me…choking me…and then there was a burst of it. It was huge, so much power! I could feel it electrifying it into my system. Burning…choking…somehow I could feel my body being dragged away from it, but it was too much. It was hardly bearable. I wanted to scream, but my mind was too far away from my body. But still I was becoming further away from it. It was still choking and searing…but it was bearable. If only just. I didn't even know if I was alive at all. But to be able feel this kind of pain, maybe this segment of my mind, this faint, weak string was all I was holding onto before slipping into death. Maybe I was dying. I wasn't even aware enough to think. All I could do was feel. I could feel more energy…but this wasn't evil. I didn't know what it was, but compared to the searing of the evil blast, I could possibly have slipped back into unconsciousness. Yet something still held me back…something I couldn't quite place. Then I felt it. That energy! That evil energy was building up again so fast. It multiplied…and how it burned! Like nothing I have ever felt before. Only the living could feel this kind of pain. It was burning…as I started to fill into myself…burning…nothing existed but the pain…burning…and then I felt something else. My body! For just a second there I could feel my body. Tasting my own lips, feeling my own vocal chords, I screamed. I don't remember hearing my own scream, I just remember that I did. I felt like I was going to die. Then I think I remember something else. Another energy was suddenly there. But this was different. It wasn't an energy of ki. It wasn't evil. And it was so different from the ones electrifying me. I couldn't control my body anymore, that moment had passed. But I could feel…something…suddenly I thought I could sense…pity. Then…the burning settled a little…and a warmth spread over me. I still was hurting incredibly, but a kind of pleasant warmth calmed me. If even in the faintest corner of my mind. Then…I could feel the warmth of someone else. Another person's body heat. Only then did I realise that I was being held. I could feel arms around me. Feel the rhythmic breathing of another. The heartbeat. And I could sense the breathing of pity, perhaps even…love? It distantly flowed into me…and I found I could let go. The pain slipped away, and so did my mind…I could no longer feel. I was no longer aware._

Author's note: In case you're wondering what I was referring to in that last part, it was during the cell games. You may remember that in the final clash of powers between Gohan and Cell, Krillin yelled out; "That's way too big! Let's go!" and carried 18 away from the energy. But when the battle heated up some more, we get a little scene where you actually see electricity going through 18's body, and, even though she was supposedly unconscious, she screams. We then see Krillin looking down at her like he wished he could put an end to her pain. My guess is she must have been at least a little bit aware of what was going on around her to be able to scream like that. What do you think? Please R&R! 


	2. The Reunion

I figure I'll add in the disclaimer here. No, I don't own anything mentioned in this story. And if I did own DBZ or any of the characters in it, it wouldn't be a fanfiction would it? So if that was the case I wouldn't be posting on a fanfiction site in the first place. Now onto the story.

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She opened her eyes again slowly.   
Krillin. It had been Krillin who had quelled her pain and made her able to let go of the awareness of it. Maybe, just maybe, he really did love her. Maybe it wasn't just a crush. Maybe it wasn't just desire. Maybe he really had cared. Cared whether or not she was safe. _Cared that I'm happy._ She thought, remembering his wish. _It was a noble thing to do. I've done nothing for him, and even though I rejected him when he asked for nothing, he still tried to ensure my happiness._ With these thoughts shifting through her head, she eventually fell into a troubled sleep. 

Eighteen got up the next morning feeling frustrated with herself. She hadn't been able to find her twin yesterday, and she was feeling a little guilty about Krillin. Still, she hadn't left him on entirely discouraging note. With that in mind, she set off for the Kame House. The Kame house however, wasn't her exact destination, but it was close. The islands nearby, where Seventeen had first been absorbed, were her true goal. That was the only other place she could think of to find Seventeen. The place he had first been absorbed by Cell. 

As she passed over Kame house she paused, considering. She could go and apologise to Krillin. Maybe even thank him for what he'd done. No. She thought to herself, feeling a little irritated at her own pride, but not relenting. I never asked for his help. And then she flew on to the chain of nearby islands to look for Seventeen. 

  


Down in the Kame House, Krillin woke up alone. He looked around in the early morning light, which was streaming through his window. He knew Master Roshi and Oolong were probably in town again, browsing through naughty magazines in the porn stores. When they went on these little charades, they were unlikely to be seen for the rest of the day. He sighed, and looked out the window. It was a perfectly beautiful day. Krillin just felt gloomy. It was depressing to see the weather mocking him by putting on such a contrasting mood to his own. 

He thought of her almost constantly, but always put on a cheery face in front of his friends. It was strange. He knew he should be feeling happy about the defeat of Cell, but the joy of that was getting drowned out by the guilt and sadness which had finally caught up with him. Sadness, because his best friend had died. Guilt because it was his fault. His emotions had fought each other inside him all the time. He felt so angry with himself because he'd had a chance that might have saved Goku, and he'd blown it. _I couldn't destroy her._ He thought to himself as he heaved a sigh. But he knew, that even if he could go back in time to change what had happened, he still wouldn't be able to kill her. He, Krillin, had fallen in love an android.

Then his thoughts wandered to Maron. He sure had had a crush on her. But it hadn't really been more that. At the time, he thought he had been in love with her. But then he'd met Eighteen. He had never felt this way with Maron. Eighteen was different. From the moment he'd dropped the controller in despair, he knew that this was real love.

He grinned to himself, thinking on how both girls he'd liked turned out to make such a commotion among his friends. He would never forget how Maron had started that fight between Chi Chi and Bulma.   
He had tried to keep her by taking a sea treasure, but when he had gone down to retrieve the giant pearl, he realised he wasn't able to do it. Thinking Maron wouldn't just accept him for him, he'd let her go. _Just like Eighteen. I had to let her go. _

Silently, he cursed himself for being so weak. Internally and externally, he was weak. And he hated it. Maybe that was why he'd fallen in love with Eighteen. She was beautiful and strong. Everything he wished he could be. _Or wish to be with, _He corrected. From what he knew of her, she was vain. But she never let that go to her head like Maron had. She was proud, but underestimation of her opponent was not one of her traits. Her eyes were ruthless, cold, piercing. But so beautiful. There was mercy in those eyes. With the exception of Dr Gero and Cell, none of the androids had killed anyone. Even in the fight with Vegeta, in which he had mocked her and scorned what she had become, she did not kill him. Certainly she had given him a pounding, but granted, he had deserved that. She and Seventeen had fought with all of his friends, but only when they were attacked first. And still none of them had been killed. They had even let Krillin walk away unharmed from that battle, simply because they did not care, and he had not provoked them. The other Z warriors probably all despised them, but Krillin couldn't see any evil in them. He couldn't sense any malice. Even though they had said they were trying to kill Goku, and that it was all a game to them, he could sort of understand that. After all, life had played them a cruel twist, and they were simply playing it back. There was no hatred there of human beings or of life they couldn't destroy, just a distance. 

He closed his eyes, reliving for the thousandth time that exquisite moment she had kissed him. He remembered looking into those ice blue eyes with such a closeness that it frightened him. But those eyes weren't evil, just distant. Those eyes he had fallen into. So intense. So beautifully frightening. 

Then he thought of Kami's lookout. Remembering the wish, thinking to himself of his own stupidity. He couldn't for the life of him think why he hadn't seen the resemblance between the twins before he said they made a good couple. Still, Eighteen had made quite clear she didn't like him. And even if Seventeen wasn't her boyfriend, he was sure she'd be happier with her brother than with him. So this time he hadn't just let her go, he had helped her leave. _How do I keep getting it so wrong? _He asked himself furiously. _Why am I so terrible with women? _ He sighed. _And now I'll never see her again. But I don't think I'll get over this one. She was different. I would have given my world to know that she was happy. _He turned on the radio, listened to two songs and turned it off. Even that was depressing. The two songs he had listened to just reminded him painfully again of _her. _

_"I would give   
My world, to lift you up   
I would change my life   
To better suit you mood   
Cause you're so smooth." _

And the second song was even worse. 

_ "I'm desperate for changing   
Starving for truth   
I'm closer to where I started   
I'm chasing after you _

_ I'm falling even more in love with you   
Letting go of all I've held on to   
I'm standing here until you make me move   
I'm hanging by a moment here with you."_

The words just kept echoing in his head. He stared out the window again, watching the ocean. Then something caught his eye. From somewhere way above him, there was a flash of gold. A tiny figure in the sky sped away. He gasped. It had only been for a second, but he swore it had been Eighteen. The gold was light reflecting off her earrings. He leapt to his feet and ran through the open door. He stared up at the sky with hope and disbelief. _She was here? What was she doing here? _He thought about following her, but he knew he could never catch her. That was what frustrated him about her the most. He would never be able to keep up with her. In any aspect. She was so beyond him. So he just sat down at the waters edge, letting the salt water lap over his feet. For the longest time, he just sat there, watching that spot in horizon into which she had disappeared. _And you had to let her go. Again._   


Finally, Eighteen reached what was left of the chain of islands in which Seventeen had first fought Piccolo, and then been absorbed by Cell. She scanned the islands from a distance overhead, looking for any sign of her brother. 

"Seventeen!!" she called down. "Seventeen!! Can you hear me?" Her voice must have echoed for miles around. Several minutes passed and she called again. She waited, and after an incredibly long moment, someone emerged from some thick bushes on one of the islands. Eighteen's attention was now fully focused on the one spot. Heart racing in anticipation, she sped towards the ground. Yes! She could just make out the figure of someone standing tall. With such an arrogant posture as only her twin could have. She was now coming so close she could make out his face. There he was, grinning like mad. Her twin. An incredible joy rushed to her as she landed on the ground near him.   
"Eighteen!" He called back, half amused and half relieved. "You're alive!" Eighteen just grinned.   
"I'm glad you're alive…Seventeen." 

"Eighteen, just what the hell happened here anyway? What happened to that bastard Cell? And why am I suddenly alive again?" Eighteen pulled her trademark pose, folding her arms and leaning against a tree.   
"I think we have a lot to talk about, and to find out." 

And so she began her story…

"I don't know very much of what happened, but I'll tell you what I can. I know that after you were absorbed, 16 and I left the island and went as far and as fast we could. 16 couldn't fly very quickly since he was badly injured, so we stopped and hid on a nearby island…

…then I was absorbed." She hesitated for a moment. "The next thing I remember was waking up at Kami's lookout. I don't know how, but Piccolo said I'd been spat out by Cell, and that Krillin had taken me out of harm's way during the final battle with Cell. Then he took me to Kami's lookout, where they said that it was actually Gohan who beat Cell…

…But I did come back. The whole horizon became like night in an instant, and I was curious. What I saw…" she trailed off, trying to think of how she might describe the eternal dragon. "was this incredible serpent. Apparently it had the power to grant wishes. Because they then wished for all the victims of Cell to be brought back. That's how I knew you'd be alive. They were going to try to bring Goku back with the second wish, but Goku actually spoke up for himself from the other world. He said he didn't want to come back for the sake of the protection of Earth, since nearly all the major threats to the earth had only come in the first place because of him. Then they went for a while about how much they loved Goku, until, the serpent got impatient. Then it ended up being Krillin who made the second wish. He…he wished us human." Seventeen's eyes widened with shock.   
"That's not possible! I still feel the circuits in me; I don't rely on human body functions. He can't have wished us human! I still feel too cyborg." Eighteen raised an eyebrow.   
"Really? Do you notice nothing different about your body now Seventeen?" 

He was silent for a moment, then looked down at his own body. "I can't feel the bomb inside me anymore." He said finally. "But that doesn't mean I'm not an android, it just means I can't self destruct."   
"That was Krillin's intention. When he found out that we couldn't be turned back into human beings, he chose instead to remove the bombs inside us so no more harm could come to us. He wanted us to live in peace." 

Then for a while she skimmed over the finer details, and Seventeen was intrigued as to what had happened.   
"So Seventeen, where have you been for the last 2 days?" Seventeen took his time answering.   
"I don't actually remember being conscious for that long. I thought I might wait around for a while to figure out where I was and what the hell happened to me. I didn't remember being absorbed for awhile. I think, I remember being inside him for a second before I became unconscious. I just remember feeling like I wasn't Seventeen anymore. Suddenly something and someone else." He looked a little dazed, but then snapped out of it and said, "Eighteen, come on, let's go have some fun."

Moments ago, they almost looked human, talking there like brother and sister. Now they became what they started out as. Two androids who didn't care about the world or anything in it. Respect nothing, fear nothing. Nothing really changed in their physical appearance, but now their features held a familiar aloof air. Wordlessly, they rose into the air, and sped off into nowhere. Two beings of a higher existence starting anew with no destination and no purpose. It was boring. Naturally, the first thing Seventeen wanted to do was find a car. He loved to drive. _How ironic. _ Eighteen thought. _We, who have the power to destroy the world at our fingertips, choose instead to spend our time mingling in shopping centers and racetracks. It's so ironic, it doesn't surprise me at all. _

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Author's note: Well, what do you think? In the next chapter, (which I have drastically extended and re-written) Seventeen gets a job and Eighteen gets annoyed. Sorry if you're a fan of Juunanago, cause after the next chapter, the story will be leaving him behind. Stay tuned and review! 


	3. Starting anew

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z belongs Akira Toriyama. No copyright infringement is intended. 

Author's Note: Well…this is kind of overdue. For all those people who were actually reading this fanfiction, sorry to have kept you waiting this long. Special thanks to Zela, who constantly hounded me to get this chapter finished and eventually got through to me. Cheers. This is a belated Easter present for her. Also thanks to Deadly Beauty, number one for reviewing my story from the beginning and number two for being such a great supporter of this couple. I have only read a few of your fics, but I don't think I've seen a Krillin & 18 on ff.net yet that you haven't reviewed. 

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They looked around for a while until Seventeen found a car that he liked. A very sleek looking BMW. But then he did something he had never done before. He looked at the price. Eighteen was stunned. He turned and grinned at her. "What?" he asked, like it was completely in his nature. 

"Seventeen, are you well?" she questioned, cocking her head to one side and staring at him incredulously. He raised one eyebrow in amusement and replied, 

"I'm fine Eighteen. I think I'm beginning to lose the need to violate human beings. Sure, they're pathetic and all, but I don't know. They work so hard for what they do, so much effort was put into making that car. Such a hard earned result. None of it was worthwhile if I steal it today. So I think, for once, I'd like to earn something of my own as well." 

It was a day to remember. In the past, Seventeen never thought he would do what he did that day. He walked away from the car lot and promised himself he would get enough money to buy the car another day. Eighteen had a change of clothes with her inside a capsule, and she felt a little odd wanting to go on a free shopping trip when Seventeen had actually decided to pay for his car. So in the end, Eighteen decided she would not take anything either. 

Furthermore, they actually decided to take to walking around town as opposed to flying and scaring the daylights out of pedestrians. However, as they were walking down a street, Seventeen noticed a poster for a job opening for the Department of Forestry. It was an opening for a ranger. Qualities required were; experience with a gun, tracking skills, and apparently, steel nerves. Seventeen raised an eyebrow and grinned. Eighteen looked over his shoulder and turned to face him. "You're not serious?" Seventeen chuckled.   
"Why not?"   
Eighteen was exasperated. 

Within a few minutes they had reached the department's headquarters. It was on the outskirts of Hope City (still in the process of being renamed 'Satan City'). Most of the buildings around it were fairly decrepit and country style, but this particular tower was still in very good condition, and looked like an office building for Microsoft and the like. 

Seventeen asked at the front desk where he should apply. The receptionist, a very plump, very bored-looking woman, eyed him critically. Then she sighed. "Another one for the ranger challenge I see." She began shuffling through some papers on her desk. Seventeen and Eighteen exchanged looks.   
"What challenge?" Eighteen asked. She glanced up at them again, peering over her half-moon spectacles.   
"If you don't already know, perhaps you shouldn't apply. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."   
"Care to explain it then?" Seventeen countered off-handedly. The receptionist continued searching through her files, and began her explanation without looking up as though she had told it many times before.   
"Mr Nakamura upstairs owns this department. In his younger days, he was one of the greatest rangers Hope City had ever seen. They needed him there too, to keep the local wildlife in check and stop animals from getting into the city. Outside this building, there's a forest a little to the south. For some reason, that forest is special. It has some of the most fearsome and aggressive creatures you'll ever see. Mr Nakamura was the only man able to uphold the job of ranger there. He slowly made his way to the top, eventually employing other rangers to take care of business while he was busy. He often was, having to man that territory. But in recent years he's been getting too old, and even he can't get past some of the monsters in his forest anymore. He's been looking for a replacement, but no one yet has been able to live up to his standards. They've all either quit screaming or died." She finally located the paper she'd been looking for. "Here's your application." She passed it to Seventeen, along with a pen. "Are you still sure you want to go through with this?"   
Seventeen grinned. Eighteen mentally sighed. _ Now you've done it lady. You've challenged him._ Seventeen took the pen smugly, and began filling out the form. "You know what, maybe you should talk to Mr. Nakamura about the finer details of your contact before you sign anything. At least find out from him everything involved." One eyebrow cocked in a bored fashion, Seventeen consented. 

A few minutes later saw the twin androids several storeys higher in the same building, outside an office door with the name 'Nakamura' printed in bold across it. Being polite, Seventeen knocked. A gruff voice from the other side of the door made itself known.   
"Come in." It sounded no more friendly than receptionist had been. But nonetheless they entered the head office of the Hope City Department of Forestry. 

Inside was not exactly how Eighteen had imagined it to look. There was a slight haze all around the room, caused by the constant smoke coming off of the inhabitant's cigars. Everything in the room smelled like it. Everything being a table, three chairs, one of which was occupied already, a bookcase full of legal documents and a large array of papers looking rather dishevelled from their completely random placements on the desk. This man clearly had a distaste for office work.

The man seated behind the desk looked hardly cut out for it. Ashtray full of cigars on his left, battered looking intercom on his right, the burly old man looked entirely uncomfortable in his environment. He had rather unruly dark hair, a great deal of stubble on his chin, and one of his eyes was always half closed.   
"What do you want kid?" Came the gruff voice. Eighteen already had a strong dislike for this man. Seventeen didn't seem to care.   
"To replace you." Mr. Nakamura eyed Seventeen for a moment, then burst out into huge guffaws. He calmed down after a few moments, whereupon he finally noticed that the teenager in front of him had not moved. He grinned at him evilly.   
"Can you fire a gun kid?" he turned his chair so the androids could see his profile to relight his cigar. Faster than the old man could blink Seventeen had drawn the pistol from it's holster and fired at Mr. Nakamura. 

Seconds ticked away in awed silence as the older man gaped at Seventeen, his cigar a tiny amount of ash against the far wall. Eighteen didn't even need to look at her twin. She could see the smug grin on his face. Mr Nakamura composed himself slowly, although his shaking hands were giving him away. He extended one of them towards Seventeen. Seventeen took his hand and shook it.   
"W-Welcome to the Department of Forestry. You're hired." He exhaled loudly. "Quite a grip you got there boy." For no reason that Eighteen could see, the man burst out laughing again. "I guess you shocked me there for a second. Never met anyone who was as much of a hotshot as me when I was younger. Jes not used to it." 

Over the next half hour, Seventeen and Mr Nakamura talked pay checks, accommodation, work requirements, paperwork, and everything else that Eighteen tuned out of. Of the few things she did bother listening to, she gathered that they would have their own place; a cabin, somewhere in this forest everyone was so wary of. She also learned, much to her delight, that Seventeen would receive a hefty pay check once a month for keeping the bigger forest dwellers in check and away from Hope City. It took far too long for Eighteen's liking, but they eventually got around to signing Seventeen's contract for six months. Seventeen made it clear that he and his sister would be moving immediately, and Mr Nakamura gave him a map of the forest, to help him get started and to help him find his way home. His contract was filed, and, much to Eighteen's relief, they headed off. 

Once they were outside the building, they took to the sky and headed towards the assigned forest. As they were flying overhead, Eighteen's keen sight told her how this forest had earned its reputation. She recognised a lot of the wildlife as being very similar to what she had seen in the district around Goku's house. It didn't take them much over twenty minutes to find their new home. Eighteen strongly disapproved of living country style, but she couldn't remember ever having a real home before. Part of her wanted to try it. 

It turned out to be relatively small, but it had running water, electricity, and was supplied with a fax machine, handheld sonar, phones and other various household appliances. Seventeen was rather happy to discover several variations of rifle stored away in a shack at the back of the cabin. Settling might take a while, but for the very first time they could remember, the android twins were starting to make a life for themselves. 

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Author's Note: I promise, chapter 4 will be out in much better time than this one was. 


	4. An Explanation

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z belongs to Akira Toriyama. No copyright infringement intended. 

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Once she reached the ocean, Eighteen stopped to contemplate. Who would she talk to? Seventeen would laugh at her, and besides, he had no answers for her. Yamcha was an idiot who wouldn't come within a fifty metre radius of her. She wouldn't ask for his help if Cell was on her trail again. Vegeta hated her with a passion, so he would probably try to return the favour of kicking the crap of her if he saw her again. He wasn't much of a talker anyway. Trunks had apparently had enough of androids to last him the lifetimes of three parallel universes. Goku was dead. That was all there was to it. She knew very well that she wanted to see Krillin, but she wasn't sure she wanted to face him yet. But Piccolo might be an option. True, Piccolo wasn't exactly fond of her, but he was the voice of dignity and reason, a rare combination in a warrior. Yes, he would provide the answers she needed. 

Focusing her mind, she located Piccolo's ki and began to follow it. Her search led her deep into the mountains. This was no surprise. Piccolo liked his solitude. Eventually she found herself gazing at a distant mountain peak. Sure enough, there was perched a single, green, cloaked figure. She grinned for a moment. She could sense his ki, but he couldn't sense hers. His eyes were shut, and although Namekians have great hearing, she suspected she could fly silently enough to go unnoticed by him. So, as quietly as her power would allow her, she flew softly over to the meditating namek. 

"Do you always train in solitude?" She asked, when she was less than ten metres away. His eyes shot open at once and he lost his composure in a moment of panic. Eighteen looked bored. He quickly regained himself and glared at her. Like he glared at everyone and everything. She kept her aloof stare. Like she did at everyone and everything. Focused on each other, the gazes were quite intense. 

"Eighteen, what are you doing here?" He asked tensely. She made the answer direct.   
"I have some questions. I believe you hold my answers." Piccolo looked suspicious, but not entirely put off. Seeing this, she continued. 

"After the battle was all over and Cell was defeated, I wasn't very well informed. The first thing I want to know is what happened to 16. Is he still alive?" 

For just a split second, Eighteen could have sworn she saw Piccolo's face soften. Then he turned his head away slightly. "No Eighteen. I'm sorry, Cell destroyed him." 

The tiniest of gasps escaped from Eighteen's lips, barely audible. Her face became a little distressed, but not much could be read from it, although her eyes changed somewhat. From intense ice they became distant and empty. She settled herself down on the mountaintop near Piccolo, met his gaze again and indicated for him to go on. He decided to start from where she left off. He explained the story of Cell, the alternate futures and how the Z fighters all powered up to become strong enough to beat Cell. When he finally finished his story with the wishes and the dragonballs, Piccolo sensed there was something in his story Eighteen still wasn't satisfied with. He took a guess and tried to catch her attention. 

"Of course, everyone's feeling uplifted about the end of Cell, but ChiChi still lost a husband, and Gohan still lost a father. But I don't think anyone feels worse about Goku's death than Krillin." The concentration in Eighteen's eyes flickered. Piccolo's guess had been accurate. "After all, he feels it's all his fault Goku died. He really liked you, so he couldn't find it in him to destroy you when he had the chance. Because of his feelings towards you, he destroyed that controller, and Cell became perfect. He didn't know it at the time, but the ultimate price Krillin had to pay in that battle, was to bear the guilt of loosing his best friend in the world for a woman he loved, but seemingly did not love him in return." 

The way she looked at him, it was hard to tell what she meant, but perhaps she was simply making it clear to him that she was not ashamed, and he had not made her feel guilty. Her face didn't show it, but her insides were churning a little. 

"And what happens now?" he asked. "What will you do?" He gave her a sideways glance, and Eighteen actually smirked at him.   
"I'm not going to terrorise the planet, if that's what you mean." She said matter of factly. "Seventeen and I will be living alone, and the chances are that none of you will ever see or hear of us again. I thank you, Piccolo." She turned to leave, but Piccolo called out after her. 

"You never did thank him, did you? You owe him that at least you know." 

She turned back, her eyes no longer holding any hostility. Rather, she actually looked humble.   
"I know." was all she said, and then she took to the sky. 

_ I believe you when you say you won't terrorise the planet. That was never your intention, was it? But I don't believe we'll never see you again. _ He thought as he watched her go. _ So goodbye Eighteen, but only for now._

When out of Piccolo's radius, she slowed down and considered what to do. _ So Sixteen is dead. I never got to thank him either. I wonder if he passed into the other world. He was purely android, but he looked at me… almost as though he had a soul. I'm sorry Sixteen. Sorry about my ignorance. If I had listened to you sooner the cost may not have been so dear. _

Without any real hurry, she drifted toward the ocean. She knew where the Kame house was, but she was still unsure whether or not she wanted see Krillin. The thought of it made her so uneasy. _ But why? What makes you so afraid to see him?! _ At that moment she realised how human this fear of hers was. It suddenly felt so childish, and she cursed herself. _You may have human emotions, but you have no need of their weaknesses as well. _  
Her mind set, she headed towards the Kame House. 

************************************************************************** 

Deadly Beauty:  
Thanks very much for your review! Actually I am likewise jealous of how many different plotlines you can come up with for this couple. It's amazing.

Dark Emotionless Shadow:   
lol...as much as I would love to make him beat up Mr Satan, that doesn't quite fit in with this plot. I made him a forest ranger because apparently Seventeen makes a short appearance which might have indicated that somewhere at the end of the Buu saga.

Knight's Shadow:  
Thank you very much. I'm trying to review much faster than before.

vegetashoseki:  
hmmm...lots of people seem to be fans of Juunanago. Don't worry, I have plans for him...


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